Barthes' Hermeneutic code (Enigma Code) in "Dunkirk"
One enigma which is evident in Dunkirk is at the beginning of the movie, where Tommy and a group of British soldiers are running away from the German army. They are all being shot at, and it is really difficult for them to run away. All of the people who are trying to escape from the German army die, apart from Tommy, who is able to jump over the fence and all the bullets which are aimed at him pass by without hitting him directly,while all the other soldiers are shot at. The enigma in this scene of Dunkirk is if Tommy will be able to escape from the soldiers who are shooting at him, and if he will be able to run fast enough to find a safe place where he will be able to rest. The scene ends with Tommy being helped by some french soldiers, and being able to reach the beach, where he can wait for a ship which will be able to bring him back to London. The enigma is therefore resolved as he is able to get to safety and he is able to escape from the German army.
An other enigma found in this movie is if the three spitfires will have enough fuel to get to France, and if they will be able to survive and get to safety once they encounter the German fighters. During this scene there are 3 pilots which are piloting their plane, and the leader is the first one to be shot down once they encounter the German army. This raises up the tension as the audience will question if the 2 other British pilots will be able to reach safety, knowing that they are being shot at by the Germans, and that one of the pilots is running low in fuel. At the end of the movie only one of the pilots reaches land (Farrier), but the enigma is left unresolved, as he is immediately captured by the German army and held prisoner. We do not know if he is able to survive through the war and get to safety, or if they decide to kill him.
One last enigma which is present in this movie is if George will be able to survive, and get back home still alive. In this part of the movie George is on a boat with his friend peter, and they rescue a pilot which they find in the sea. The pilot finds out that the boys are heading to Dunkirk, so he becomes agitated and panics, demanding to head back to England. Peter then decides to lock him in one of the small rooms under the boat, and when the pilot is let out, he starts a fight to try and get control of the boat. he pushes George, who gets hit in the head quite badly. his head starts bleeding and we then find out he is loosing his sight. The enigma is resolved once peter and his dad rescue other soldiers from the oil, and one of them informs peter that George will not reach England alive, as he has died.
An other enigma found in this movie is if the three spitfires will have enough fuel to get to France, and if they will be able to survive and get to safety once they encounter the German fighters. During this scene there are 3 pilots which are piloting their plane, and the leader is the first one to be shot down once they encounter the German army. This raises up the tension as the audience will question if the 2 other British pilots will be able to reach safety, knowing that they are being shot at by the Germans, and that one of the pilots is running low in fuel. At the end of the movie only one of the pilots reaches land (Farrier), but the enigma is left unresolved, as he is immediately captured by the German army and held prisoner. We do not know if he is able to survive through the war and get to safety, or if they decide to kill him.
One last enigma which is present in this movie is if George will be able to survive, and get back home still alive. In this part of the movie George is on a boat with his friend peter, and they rescue a pilot which they find in the sea. The pilot finds out that the boys are heading to Dunkirk, so he becomes agitated and panics, demanding to head back to England. Peter then decides to lock him in one of the small rooms under the boat, and when the pilot is let out, he starts a fight to try and get control of the boat. he pushes George, who gets hit in the head quite badly. his head starts bleeding and we then find out he is loosing his sight. The enigma is resolved once peter and his dad rescue other soldiers from the oil, and one of them informs peter that George will not reach England alive, as he has died.
A thorough understanding of the enigma code, with specific scenes referenced to demonstrate your understanding.
ReplyDeleteEBI - proof read thoroughly for spelling and grammar.